AURORA, Colo. — Colorado's four congressional Democrats paid a visit to the ICE detention center in Aurora on Monday and met with a couple of detainees, including immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra, who’s been in custody since March.
The delegation said they faced significant obstacles trying to conduct oversight at the facility, and their visit only raised more concerns.
Providing oversight of the federal government is one of the main responsibilities of Congress. When it comes to what’s happening at the detention center, the Democratic lawmakers told media outlets that much of it remains a mystery.
Last month, U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat who represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District, was denied entry into the facility when he made an unannounced visit. The facility sits in Crow's district.
"This has been the most difficult visit in terms of getting information, getting answers out of the facility, out of the employees, and being obstructed from conducting a full oversight that I've had in over six years, which is unacceptable,” Crow said.
Crow joined U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado's 2nd District and several other Democratic lawmakers in a lawsuit against the Trump administration after they were denied entry into federal detention facilities. Lawmakers said they want to see how immigrant detainees are being treated.
"We care deeply about making sure that the people who are being held there are treated humanely, that they have access to the healthcare that they need,” said U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 7th District.
The lawmakers said when they arrived, their access was limited, and the group was only able to speak to one detainee.
"The entire population was on lockdown for a count,” said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 1st District. "Also, the people who were there conducting the visit had little knowledge to tell us when we asked questions."
Crow said the staff accompanying them told them they would have to get a lot of their questions answered from officials up the chain in the Trump administration.
“We are once again being told they can’t give that information, and we have to submit it to Washington, D.C.,” Crow said. “My guess is, if the last eight months have been any indication, we’re not going to be getting a lot of great answers out of Washington either.”
Lawmakers said they still want to know more about the detainees at the facility.
“I would love to know who is being detained in this facility,” said Crow. “What types of people are they holding in our community?"
Denver7 caught up with immigration attorney Zachary Sanders outside the detention center on Monday.
"The government is painting them as dangerous and violent and the worst of the worst,” said Sanders. “But when you speak to them, when you meet with them and represent them, you realize that that's just a fabrication, that it's not true."
Sanders said he's heard from detainees complaining about inadequate food, air conditioners not working, and physical fights breaking out.
"And when that's reported to guards, the response has been substandard, inadequate,” Sanders said.
According to Sanders, some of the problems predate the current administration, but he believes the climate has changed dramatically in the past six months. He said there's very little detainees can do since most don't have lawyers.
"Part of it is affordability," Sanders told Denver7. "Immigration law is complicated, and hiring a private attorney is expensive. It's beyond the means of a lot of people."
Denver7 followed up with ICE and asked the agency if it had any response to the claims by Democratic lawmakers. As of the publication of this article, ICE has not provided any comment.
Politics
DeGette introduces private bill to give Jeanette Vizguerra permanent residency
In addition to the one detainee all of the congressional members spoke with, DeGette said she was also able to meet with immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra, who has been detained since March 17. She was arrested outside a Target where she worked.
DeGette said she gave Vizguerra a copy of a private bill she introduced in Congress last month. Private bills are bills that help only one person or organization rather than the population at large.
“I wanted to hand-deliver a copy of that bill to Jeanette today,” DeGette said. “She was grateful for that, and she told me she is not going to stop fighting for immigrants’ rights.”
The bill seeks to provide Vizguerra with lawful status so she can stay in the country as her case is being processed.
Private bills used to be much more common but are relatively rare today, and very few ever become law, according to the Congressional Research Service. These types of bills are introduced when other legal options have been exhausted.
